Sandgropers converge on Coolum Beach
The Australian Champion of Champions is set to ignite at Coolum Beach Bowls Club tomorrow with three days of tough competition between the countries best playing for a spot in the 2016 World Champion of Champions. The Australian Champion of Champions is on our doorstep once again and the 2015 instalment of the time-honoured event is heading to Coolum Beach on the Sunshine Coast for the first time since its return to the national calendar in 2010.
Western Australia has featured prominently in the national event over the years with Noelene Abe leading the way for the west with her victory in the singles in 2013, followed by Tom Mitchell’s runner-up performance in 2014.
This year Australian Premier League star Clive Adams, an inaugural member of Bowls WA’s franchise the Solargain Perth Suns, will lead the charge for the sandgropers as a strong contender in the men’s competition, whilst WA NTC Coach Therese Hastings cannot be overlooked as a challenger for the women’s crown.
Adams preparation for the Australian Champion of Champions has seen him at Tweed Heads for the Australian Indoor Championships where he went down in a close encounter with NSW’s Gerad Short in round one and just last week Adams returned to Queensland to represent Cambridge at the $60,000 National 5 a Side.
Adams opted not to miss the season opener, the Mount Lawley Consistency Singles back in the west and flew home after the Helensvale 5 a Side before returning to Queensland for a third time in a month.
Adams preparation cannot be faulted; however he says playing bowls in Western Australia means he is unable to make it to every event so playing well when it counts will be crucial to his Australian Champion of Champions campaign, as will the quality of opponents he will face at Coolum Beach.
“Everyone in the field has obviously played great bowls to qualify, but it seems Adelaide Endurance’s Scott Thulborn and I will meet regularly in the next couple of months leading up to APL03, and as he is the defending Australian champion, Scotty will be my toughest competition,” said Adams.
Adams and Thulborn are set to lock horns in round five of seven sectional matches which is a new format introduced for this year’s championships; a format that Adams is thrilled to be playing under.
“The Australian Champion of Champion Pairs was my first Australian title way back in the year 2000 so these events hold a special place for me; I also love the round robin format of this year’s event, seven awesome games of singles, I just can’t wait,” said the delighted Adams.
Retired Western Australian representative Therese Hastings will come up against Australian Jackaroos Natasha Scott and Rebecca Van Asch in what is a high quality women’s field.
The Australian Champion of Champions kicks off on September 16 at 9am with three matches on day one followed by a further two days of sectional play with just two matches scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
After seven sectional matches, the champions will be decided by the player with the most wins or a count back on margin if required; no finals will be contested.
The male and female winner will receive 18 ranking points and a spot representing Australia in the 2016 World Champion of Champions at Club Helensvale.
For more information on the Australian Champion of Champions at Coolum Beach follow this link to the Events page on the Bowls Australia website.
